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1 
A stable pond ecosystem would not contain

(1) materials being cycled
(2) oxygen
(3) decomposers
(4) more consumers than producers 	
2 
Which factor has the greatest influence on the type of ecosystem that will form in a particular geographic area?

(1) genetic variations in the animals
(2) climate conditions
(3) number of carnivores
(4) percentage of nitrogen gas in the atmosphere	
3 
Farming reduces the natural biodiversity of an area, yet farms are necessary to feed the world’s human population. This situation is an example of

(1) poor land use                         (3) conservation
(2) a trade-off                               (4) a technological fix 	
4 
A food chain is represented below.

This food chain contains

(1)  4 consumers and no producers
(2)  1 predator, 1 parasite, and 2 producers
(3)  2 carnivores and 2 herbivores
(4)  2 predators, 1 herbivore, and 1 producer
	
5 
A volcanic eruption destroyed a forest, covering the soil with volcanic ash. For many years, only small plants could grow. Slowly, soil formed in which shrubs and trees could grow. These changes are an example of

(1) manipulation of genes
(2) evolution of a species
(3) ecological succession
(4) equilibrium	
6 
A major reason that humans can have such a significant impact on an ecological community is that humans

(1) can modify their environment through technology
(2) reproduce faster than most other species
(3) are able to increase the amount of finite resources available
(4) remove large amounts of carbon dioxide from the air 
	
7 
Rabbits are herbivores that are not native to Australia. Their numbers have increased steadily since being introduced into Australia by European settlers. One likely reason the rabbit population was able to grow so large is that the rabbits

(1) were able to prey on native herbivores
(2) reproduced more slowly than the native animals
(3) successfully competed with native herbivores for food
(4) could interbreed with the native animals	
8 
On which day did the population represented in the graph below reach the carrying capacity of the
ecosystem?

(1) day 11                          (2) day 8                                           (3) day 3                (4) day 5	
9 
In the transfer of energy from the Sun to ecosystems, which molecule is one of the first to store this energy?

(1) protein        (2) fat        (3) DNA    (4) glucose
	
10 
The graph below represents the amount of available energy at successive nutrition levels in a particular food web.

The Xs in the diagram represent the amount of energy that was most likely
(1) changed into inorganic compounds
(2) retained indefinitely by the herbivores
(3) recycled back to the producers
(4) lost as heat to the environment

	
11 

Which statement best describes this ecosystem?
(1) The ecosystem is most likely unstable.
(2) Long-term stability of this ecosystem will continue.
(3) The herbivore populations will continue to increase in size for many years.
(4) The producer organisms outnumber the consumer organisms.

The diagram below represents an energy pyramid constructed from data collected from an
aquatic ecosystem.

	
12 
In order to reduce consumption of nonrenewable resources, humans could

(1) burn coal to heat houses instead of using oil

(2) heat household water with solar radiation

(3) increase industrialization

(4) use a natural-gas grill to barbecue instead of using charcoal 	
13 
In 1859, a small colony of 24 rabbits was brought to Australia. By 1928 it was estimated that there were 500 million rabbits in a 1-million square mile section of Australia. Which statement describes a condition that probably contributed to the increase in the rabbit population?

(1) The rabbits were affected by many limiting factors.

(2) The rabbits reproduced by asexual reproduction.

(3) The rabbits were unable to adapt to the environment.

(4) The rabbits had no natural predators in Australia. 	
14 

Which statement is not a valid conclusion based on the data?
(1) Overharvesting of fish could have a negative impact on group C.
(2) The smaller the crocodile is, the larger the prey.
(3) Group B has no preference between reptiles and birds.
(4) Spraying insecticides would have the most direct impact on group A.

Information concerning the diet of crocodiles of different sizes is contained in the table below.

	
15 
The diagram below shows the effect of spraying a pesticide on a population of insects over three generations.

Which concept is represented in the diagram?
1.	survival of the  fittest                       
2.	succession
3.	dynamic equilibrium        
4.	extinction

	
16 
In an ecosystem, the herring population was reduced by fishermen. As a result, the tuna, which feed on the herring, disappeared. The sand eels, which are eaten by herring, increased in number. The fishermen then overharvested the sand eel population. Cod and seabirds then decreased. Which food web best represents the feeding relationships in this ecosystem?

	
17 
Two food chains are represented below.

Decomposers are important for supplying energy for
(1) food chain A, only              (3) both food chain A and food chain B
(2) food chain B, only              (4) neither food chain A nor food chain B	
18 

19.  Which organism carries out autotrophic nutrition?
(1) hawk             (3) grass
(2) cricket            (4) deer

What is an appropriate title for this diagram?
(1) Energy Flow in a Community
(2) Ecological Succession
(3) Biological Evolution
(4) A Food Chain	
	
20 
Decomposers are necessary in an ecosystem because they

(1) produce food for plants by the process of photosynthesis
(2) provide energy for plants by the process of decay
(3) can rapidly reproduce and evolve
(4) make inorganic materials available to plants 	
21 
A manatee is a water-dwelling herbivore on the list of endangered species. If manatees were to become extinct, what would be the most likely result in the areas where they had lived?

(1) The biodiversity of these areas would not be affected.
(2) Certain producer organisms would become more abundant in these areas.
(3) Other manatees would move into these areas and restore the population.
(4) Predators in these areas would occupy higher levels on the energy pyramid. 	
22 
A serious threat to biodiversity is

(1) habitat destruction
(2) maintenance of food chains
(3) competition within a species
(4) a stable population size 
	
23 
Which action will result in the greatest decrease in rain forest stability?

(1) removing one species of plant for medicine
(2) harvesting nuts from some trees
(3) cutting down all the trees for lumber
(4) powering all homes with wind energy 	
24 
One way that humans could have a positive impact on local environments is to

(1) generate waste products as a result of technological advances
(2) use resources that are renewable
(3) increase planting large areas of one crop
(4) increase the use of pesticides 	
25 
Because of an attractive tax rebate, a homeowner decides to replace an oil furnace heating system with expensive solar panels. The trade-offs involved in making this decision include

(1) high cost of solar panels, reduced fuel costs, and lower taxes
(2) low cost of solar panels, increased fuel costs, and higher taxes
(3) increased use of fuel, more stable ecosystems, and less availability of solar radiation
(4) more air pollution, increased use of solar energy, and greater production of oil 	
26 
The graph below represents the populations of two different species in an ecosystem over a period of several years.

Which statement is a possible explanation for the changes shown?

(1) Species A is better adapted to this environment.
(2) Species A is a predator of species B.
(3) Species B is better adapted to this environment.
(4) Species B is a parasite that has benefited species A.

	
27 
Base your answer to the following question on the energy pyramid below and on your knowledge of biology.

28.  Which level includes organisms that get their energy exclusively from a source other than the organisms in this ecosystem?

(1) A 
(2) B 
(3) C
(4) D

Which level includes organisms that
 receive their energy from level B?

(1) A 
(2) B 
(3) C
(4) D	
	
29 
An ecosystem that has almost the same number and type of organisms for many years is exhibiting

(1) feedback

(2) global instability

(3) environmental change

(4) equilibrium 	
30 
The diversity of organisms present on Earth is the result of

(1) ecosystem stability      (3) natural selection

(2) homeostasis                (4) direct harvesting 	
31 
Scientists have discovered that the Oklahoma salamander, Eurycea tynerensis, develops into its adult form in streams where the streambeds are made of fine, tightly packed gravel. Salamanders living in streams with streambeds made of large, loosely packed gravel remain immature. This situation is an example of

(1) the production of gametes

(2) faulty genes found in aquatic organisms

(3) development influenced by the environment

(4) the production of new organisms by environmental engineering 

32 
A species that lacks the variation necessary to adapt to a changing environment is more likely to

(1) develop many mutated cells

(2) become extinct over time

(3) begin to reproduce sexually

(4) develop resistance to diseases 	
33 
A stable ecosystem is characterized by having

(1) predators that outnumber their prey

(2) a continual input of energy

(3) limited autotrophic nutrition

(4) no competition between species 	
34 
Changes in an ecosystem over a long period of time are shown in the diagram below.

These changes will most likely lead to a
(1) stable ecosystem that can last for many years
(2) loss of heterotrophs that cannot be recovered
(3) long-term rise in environmental temperatures
(4) forest consisting of only producers and decomposers

35 
Which pair of organisms would most likely compete for the same ecological niche?

(1) bacteria and fungi

(2) deer and wolf

(3) tree and fungi

(4) deer and bacteria 	
36 
Rabbits introduced into Australia over one hundred years ago have become a serious pest. Rabbit populations have increased so much that they have displaced many native species of herbivores. Which statement best explains the reason for their increased numbers?

(1) Rabbits have a high metabolic rate.

(2) There are few native predators of rabbits.

(3) Additional rabbit species have been introduced.

(4) There is an increase in rabbit competitors. 	
37 
Which human activity would preserve finite resources?

(1) deforestation

(2) removing carnivores from a forest

(3) recycling aluminum

(4) heating homes with fossil fuels 	
38 
Which action would be least likely to harm endangered species?

(1) releasing more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere

(2) reducing the human population

(3) decreasing the amount of dissolved oxygen in the oceans

(4) reducing the thickness of the ozone layer 	
39 
Abandoned railroad tracks are overgrown with weeds. Ten years later there are small aspen trees growing in the middle of the tracks. This change is an example of

(1) ecological succession

(2) biological evolution

(3) genetic variation

(4) heterotrophic nutrition 

	
40 
The diagram below represents the varying biodiversity in three ecosystems.

The level of biodiversity in ecosystem A is high because it has the

(1) least variety of energy levels              (3) greatest number of decomposers

(2) greatest variety of genetic material     (4) least number of ecological niches	
41 
The graph below shows the growth of a field mouse population in an ecosystem over time.

The dashed line indicating the carrying capacity for the mouse population is correctly shown on which graph?